Mathematics and Education MA/C Contiguous Bachelor's/Master's Pathway
Mathematics and Education MA/C Contiguous Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathway
The 4+1 pathway into the Master of Arts/Credential (MA-C) Program is an option that allows undergraduates in the mathematics education major at the University of California, Santa Cruz to:
▪ Finish the master’s degree in just one additional year (five quarters, July to July).
▪ Apply to the Education master’s program through a streamlined application process.
Undergraduate students currently enrolled in the mathematics education major have the opportunity, any time after the start of their junior year until Dec. 1 of their senior year, to apply to be admitted to the 4+1 contiguous pathway leading to the Education master’s degree.
The requirements for admission into the 4+1 pathway are:
1. a GPA in the major of 3.0 or more;
2. completion of EDUC 185B, Introduction to Mathematics Education, with a grade of B or better. It is recommended students take 185B by the end of their junior year. The course previews the reading and writing workload required in most of the courses in the MA-C Program. EDUC 185B is typically offered in winter; and
3. completion or current enrollment or plan to enroll by fall of the senior year in all of the required Cal Teach courses.
Interested students should schedule a meeting with the Mathematics Education undergraduate advisor to discuss their curriculum plan and complete the application forms. The deadline for application to the pathway is Dec. 1 of the senior year, although students are encouraged to apply earlier.
While students in the pathway are not guaranteed admission to the MA/Credential Program, the Education Department expects to admit students who have met the three requirements for admission, above, barring any extenuating circumstances, or if the applicant does not obtain clearance from the State of California, as described in the program statement for the MA/Credential Master’s Program. Additionally, students will be eligible for a streamlined admission process if, at the time of application, they have met the state Basic Skills and Subject Matter requirements, typically by providing passing scores on California State tests: the CBEST and the CSET (applicants must pass the required sub test for a secondary Single Subject Mathematics credential or the Foundational-Level Mathematics credential). CSET Mathematics consists of three subtests: Subtest I, Subtest II, and Subtest III. Students seeking the Foundational-Level Mathematics Credential only required to pass Subtest I and Subtest II.
After entering into the Master’s/Credential Program, students from the pathway will follow the same requirements as any other students in the MA/C Program with expected graduation in July of the year after their graduation from the UC Santa Cruz Mathematics Education program.
Students who have completed EDUC 177 will have the course EDUC 205 waived from their MA/Credential requirements. Students intending to apply for the MA/Credential program may also choose to complete these courses in Summer Session II between their junior and senior years, instead of during the MA/Credential Program:
EDUC 210, Health, Safety and Community, 2 credits;
EDUC 213, Child and Adolescent Development for Educators, 2 credits.
The following State of California requirements for a California teaching credential, which have to be completed before the end of the final quarter of the MA/Credential Program, can also be completed at the undergraduate stage if a student chooses:
- The U.S. Constitution Examination, when offered by the Education Department. (Completion of any of the courses POLI 20, POLI 111, POLI 120A or HIST 10A also satisfies this requirement.)
- The UCSC Extension online course EDUC.XSC209 can be completed any time it is offered to satisfy the Preliminary Technology Requirement.
- A certified cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) course (infant, child, and adult) must be completed before the end of the final quarter of the MA/Credential Program and be valid at the time of application for the preliminary credential in the final summer session of the MA/Credential Program. (A CPR course that will remain valid through the preliminary credential application may be taken during the undergraduate state; 12-month certifications will not be sufficient. Student must check with course provider.)
Course planner and sample program
During their undergraduate years, a student follows the planner for the Math Education B.S. program. The program has different sample plans, depending on where students start, frosh and transfer planners for each plan published in the General Catalog. The sample plan below is for students starting at Math 19A or MATH 20A.
Sample Math Education Four-Year Planner
* General Education/Major Exploration
Extra Math course: MATH 101 (offered Fall) or CSE 16 (offered FWS)
MATH 101, Math Problem Solving (F), highly recommended out of all these choices
Education Summer courses:
EDUC 210, Health, Safety and Community, (2 credits) Summer Term II (July-August);
EDUC 213, Child and Adolescent Development for Educators, (2 credits) Summer Term II (July-August);
Education online course (XSC 209), Introduction to Technology in Schools, UCSC Extension.
Math Subject Matter Program
Students following the Math ED 4+1 are likely to also wish to complete the Math Subject Matter Program to waive the CSET exams. The requirements (or equivalents taken at another university) for the CSET waiver are as follows:
Introductory Math Education Concentration Coursework:
Advanced Math Education Concentration Coursework:
Additional Courses Specific to the SMP in addition to the Math Education Curriculum:
The Sample course plan for the MA/Credential will be largely unaltered, with the exceptions that EDUC 205** may be waived and EDUC 210 and EDUC 213*** may have been completed by the student as an undergraduate (see Section II.1.A earlier in this proposal).
*Highly recommended for Math Education majors
**May substitute EDUC 177 taken as an undergraduate for EDUC 205
***EDUC 210 and EDUC 213 may be taken in Summer Session II between junior and senior years
Note: Beginning placement begins on the first day of our partner schools’ and continues through to the end of their K-12 academic year in June; both winter and spring quarter breaks align to the breaks of the partner schools and not the UC Santa Cruz calendar.